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Essay about crime prevention tips by yourself
Essay about crime prevention tips by yourself
Essay about crime prevention tips by yourself
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Is Solitary Confinement Productive and Effective?
Solitary confinement is the confinement of very violent inmates and inmates are placed in super maximum cells. The justice system now has been proved to be overcrowded and ineffective, this drives inmates closer to insanity. Solitary confinement is the confinement of inmates who have committed a deadly crime or an inmate who was in jail and disrespected a guard. The conditions of these horrific places are nothing good. The confinement of these inmates is supposed to improve their violent ways instead it increases their crime rate. Even though many individuals believe solitary confinement is beneficial, there are many reasons why it is very dangerous for the inmates: the physical conditions, mental/physical abuse, and effects on their social life after.
The mental and physical abuse the inmates are put through drives them closer to insanity.
The abuse the inmates experience is one’s worst nightmare, for example, “The mental equivalent of putting an asthmatic in a place with little air to breathe” (Mager, 2000). This proving that it causes mental changes and it is deadly for the mentally ill.The conditions are causing the inmates to become more mentally unstable. Being put in such a
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horrific place causes the inmates to become more like animals, in addition,“Extreme physical and mental distress that it effectively qualifies as a form of torture” (Rice, 2016). The conditions that the inmates have to go through are similar to torture. The torture the inmates are put through cause them to drive closer to insanity. The torture the inmates have to go through causes a major toll on their mental state. The torture the inmates go through cause them to be unstable and unready to go back into their social lives after their confinement. Inmates in solitary confinement get barely an hour a week of human contact, therefore,“...return to society as less functional human beings that are more likely to recommit crimes” (Rice, 2016). The isolation for so long causes then to forget how to act in society as a normal human being.They feel worthless and they can not seem to fit back into the normal world. The complete isolation turns the inmates into inhumane humans, as a matter of fact,“There is considerable social isolation inherent in this type of confinement; inmates readily admit that it is difficult for them to function in society after spending significant time without human contact” (Lerner, 2018). They live so long without having to worry about human contact then they push it aside and forgot human manners. This drives them to feel less of a human. The constricted human contact and strict isolation makes the inmates unfit and unready to go back into the social world after being in solitary confinement. The worst thing the inmates have is the terrible physical conditions of the super maximum cells. The cells these inmates are placed in are nothing but hell, an example being,“...because there are no windows-only a skylight high overhead, through which gray daylight seeps into the bare quadrangle facing the pod’s eight cells, stacked four on four. All that can be heard are a few subdued voices, and the occasional thunderous sound of a flushing toilet reverberating off the blank concrete walls” (Beiser, 2018). These conditions are inhumane and are cruel. Sounds more like hell than a place to hold inmates who disobey the law. The restrictions that are put on these inmates are harsh, including,“...have no television privileges, are allowed no reading materials, do not go to a recreation outside their cells, and are not given a mattress and bedding except for a specified period during the night. The period of disciplinary segregation is determined by the nature and severity of the offense or infraction, but is designed to be time-limited” (Lerner, 2006). This causing inmates to act like animals since they are treated like one. It makes them feel inhuman and feel like less of a person since they are getting tortured constantly. These conclude that these conditions are conditions that no human or animal should be placed in. As for some people they believe that the restriction these inmates is essential.
The violent crime rate in jails would decrease if, “Known gang members and affiliates-especially those responsible for violence or intimidation within the prison-also can be assigned to SHU” (Bailey, 2001). This limits violent crimes and less violent actions in jail. Having these dangerous people locked up promotes better safety for others. The prison guards are always watching, as well as,“ The prison provides round-the-clock security for any inmates removed from the institution” (Bailey, 2001). Provides comfort for others knowing there are guards all the time. These guards are armed and ready for conflict and are there to protect the
inmates. 3. With all these careful measures it still does not fix the problem that most inmates are mentally ill and need special treatment but instead are placed in 10 by 7 cells, in addition,“ ...is one of the most difficult conditions to which prisoners can be subjected. ...inflict mental torture” (Lerner, 2006). Yes this place is very isolated and has low crime rates, but it very torturing and hard on one's mental stability. The loss of human contact and the isolation makes the inmates more unstable everyday they are kept in solitary confinement. Most believe that solitary confinement is useful and essential, but overall the effects on inmates is similar to torture. Solitary confinement causes the violent inmates to be more violent.Most people who have not been through the justice system typically portray solitary confinement as a necessary place for violent offenders. Here are some reasons why it is a very horrendous place: the effects on an inmate's social life after, physical conditions of the prison, and the mental and physical abuse, the inmates are put through. Being put in such an isolated place causes drastic mental and physical changes for the inmates. The mental torture, the inmates experience causes them to be unstable and unready to go back into social life. There is no support or help for these inmates at the moment and solitary confinement is becoming more and more like torture. The torture these inmates have to go through is unbearable and unfair, and this should not go on any longer. To help out the local inmates who are in solitary confinement and who are struggling call the local state representative and inform them about the cons of solitary confinement to reform inmates in a healthy way in order to come back into the social world.
Believe it or not solitary confinement has been around for generations. Exiles and banishments were the very first forms of solitary, but of course the standards for exile and banishment are a bit more extreme. These sentencing were punishments for those who commit crimes and or brought shame or dishonor to a group or family. Generally if exiled or banished one was not allowed to return until proving themselves worthy of being accept it once more. As decades passed developments to solitary were made. At one point criminals were placed in dark and dirty underground holes, these methods were known as "uncontrolled" solitary. The first "controlled" solitary attempt in America was in 1829 at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. It is on a Quaker believe that prisoners isolated in stone cells with only a Bible would use the time to repent, pray and find introspection (Sullivan). Current solitary confinement rooms are basic, well-lit, sterile boxes. Uncontrolled and controlled solitary
Solitary Confinement is a type of isolation in prison which a prisoner is segregated from the general population of the prison and any human contact besides the prison employees. These prisons are separated from the general population to protect others and themselves from hurting anyone in the prison. These prisoners are deprived of social interaction, treatments, psychologist, family visits, education, job training, work, religious programming and many other services prisoners might need during the sentence of their imprisonment. There are roughly 80,000 prisoners in solitary confinement but 25,000 are in long term and supermax prisons. According to the Constitution, “The Eighth Amendment [...] prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishment”(US Const. amend. VIII). Solitary confinement is suppose to be the last straw for inmates to be in. If they don 't follow it, they can be on death row. Taxpayers pay roughly $75,000 to $85,000 to keep prisoners in solitary confinement. That is 3 times higher than the normal prisons that taxpayers pay for them to be in prison. Solitary confinement was established in 1829 in Philadelphia for experimentation because officials believed it was a way for
Overcrowding is one of the predominate reasons that Western prisons are viewed as inhumane. Chapman’s article has factual information showing that some prisons have as many as three times the amount of prisoners as allowed by maximum space standards. Prison cells are packed with four to five prisoners in a limited six-foot-by-six-foot space, which then, leads to unsanitary conditions. Prisons with overcrowding are exposed to outbreaks of infectious diseases such as, tuberculosis and hepatitis.
A reality where the prisoner is dehumanized and have their rights and mental health abused. “I have endured lockdowns in buildings with little or no heat; lockdowns during which authorities cut off the plumbing completely, so contraband couldn’t be flushed away; and lockdowns where we weren’t allowed out to shower for more than a month” (Hopkins 154). A prisoner currently must survive isolation with improper shelter in the form of heat. Issues compound with a lack of running water and bathing, a proven severe health danger, especially for someone lacking proper nutrients such as a prisoner in lockdown. These abuses of physical well being then manifest into damage of prisoners’ mental well being. “Perhaps I should acknowledge that the lockdown-and, indeed, all these years-have damaged more than I want to believe” (Hopkins 156). Even for the experienced prisoner the wrath of unethically long lockdowns still cause mental damage. Each and every isolation period becomes another psychological beating delivered as the justice system needlessly aims to damage the already harmed inmates. The damage is so profound inmates even recognize the harm done to them by their jailors. An armed and widely used psychological weapon, the elongated lockdown procedures decimate mental health each and every time
Yet, solitary confinement is still considered necessary in order to maintain control within the prison and among inmates. Solitary confinement is seen as an effective method in protecting specific prisoners and altering violent/aggressive disobedient behaviors, (Maria A. Luise, Solitary Confinement: Legal and Psychological Considerations, 15 New Eng. J. on Crim. & Civ. Confinement 301, 324 (1989) p. 301). There is some discrepancy among researchers as to the varying effects on inmates who have undergone an extensive solitary confinement stay. Most researchers find that inmates who had no previous form of mental illness suffer far less than those who do, yet most if not all of these individuals still experience some difficulties with concentration and memory, agitation, irritability, and will have issues tolerating external stimuli, (Stuart Grassian, Psychiatric Effects of Solitary Confinement, 22 Wash. U. J. L. & Pol’y 325 (2006) p. 332). Although these detrimental psychiatric repercussions of solitary confinement currently appear, several researches have made suggestions as to how these may be avoided. These requirements being that
Solitary confinements are a prison within prisons, that isolates inmates from the rest of the world. Solitary confinement was originally founded by the Quakers and Anglicans in the early 1800s, in Philadelphia. The purpose of solitary confinement when the Quakers and Anglicans first created it, was to give the inmates the opportunity to get the chance to find Christ (Biggs 2017). Now the purpose of solitary confinement is to serve as punishment for criminals that are killers or cause a problem within the prison. Inmates in solitary confinement sit in a cell that is 80 square feet for 22-23 hours a day, with 1 hour of free time without human contact (Breslow 2014). One side believes solitary confinement is a good and a easy way to protect society
While solitary confinement is one of the most effective ways of keeping todays prisoners from conflict and communication it is also the most detrimental to their health. According to an article by NPR.org the reason for most solitary confinement units in America “is to control the prison gangs (NPR, 2011).” Sometimes putting a gang member in solitary confinement reduces the effect that confinement is supposed to have when the confined inmate starts losing their mind. The prisoners kept in solitary confinement show more psychotic symptoms than that of a normal prisoner, including a higher suicide rate. Once a prisoner’s mental capacity to understand why he or she is in prison and why they are being punished is gone, there is no reason to keep said prisoner in solitary confinement. Once your ability to understand punishment is gone the consequences of your actions lose value and become irrelevant.
In an ordinary prison, many are at risk of being assaulted especially within weaker inmates. These prisoners who assault and frequently act out in violence, as well as prisoners who try to escape, “must be removed from the general population of the prison environment while they threaten any of those behaviors” (Riveland, 1999). While these prisoners are in the super-maximum security prison, they are not placed out of it until it is believed their threat level is low. Other inmates of supermax prions include: death row inmates, mentally-ill inmates, and inmates with HIV or other blood disease. These inmates are placed in supermax prisons to secure inmates from those who are likely to act out in rage, and to be sure the health of inmates is not at risk by getting HIV. Many see these reasons to be a necessary condition to place these inmates in a different and confined prison. However others see the supermax prisons as being a cruel punishment. When given this argument, many may agree that having prisoners, especially smaller and weaker inmates, around these violent offenders is dangerous. Would it be cruel and unusual to leave these inmates in a cell where they are at risk of being tortured by a mentally unstable or unfit cell mate? Many other might see that it is a fit punishment and it would prevent the abused inmates from becoming repeating offenders. Which would bring up the idea that these inmates
Since the early 1800s, the United States has relied on a method of punishment barely known to any other country, solitary confinement (Cole). Despite this method once being thought of as the breakthrough in the prison system, history has proved differently. Solitary confinement was once used in a short period of time to fix a prisoners behavior, but is now used as a long term method that shows to prove absolutely nothing. Spending 22-24 hours a day in a small room containing practically nothing has proved to fix nothing in a person except further insanity. One cannot rid himself of insanity in a room that causes them to go insane. Solitary confinement is a flawed and unnecessary method of punishment that should be prohibited in the prison system.
Solitary Confinement is the isolation of a prisoner in a separate cell as a punishment. Aside from the death penalty, confinement is the most extreme punishment that a prisoner can be sentenced to. Prisoners deserve to maintain their human rights while incarcerated just as much as any ordinary citizen in the United States. Solitary confinement is unconstitutional because it violates the fundamental rights of inmates by physically and socially isolating them, which potentially inflicts severe long-term damage on adolescents.
The negative effects of the long-term use of solitary confinement in prisons has been under the spot light for years, and has been considered to be broken. The maltreatment of prisoners is a constant
Solitary confinement ranks as one of the most controversial forms of governmental punishment. The controversy regards the constitutionality, or in other terms the humaneness of prolonged isolation. The justice system regards prisoners who are assigned solitary confinement as potentially too dangerous to be permitted any form of interaction with other inmates or prison guards. Solitary confinement is the isolation of a prisoner in a small, artificially lit cell that is generally about eight by four feet in dimension. This containment lasts for approximately 23 hours a day, and when permitted to exit the cell for an hour, the prisoner still receives no amount of significant social interaction and is simply allowed to pace in a longer isolated chamber.
Supporters of solitary confinement believe that Inmates that propose extreme dangers to prison staff and other inmates must be removed and placed in solitary condiment for their protection and sometimes the inmate themselves. Therefore, many would argue that when left alone in solitary confinement, it allows inmates to engage in self-reflection. Furthermore, many supporters of Solitary believe that disciplinary segregation is needed and has proven to keep stability in correctional institutions. Solitary confinement does solve the issue of physical violence and allows for personal reflection. While this argument is popular, solitary confinement causes extreme psychological consequences on inmates. When placed in solitary confinement inmates begin to lose sight to what real and mentally brake down over time. While held in solitary confinement for long periods of time prisoners experience hallucinations, extreme anxiety, amnesia, and violent impulse behavior. In 1997, a study done by the Human Rights Watch shows that 5% of the overall prison population in America has suffered some kind of psychotic illness due to extreme isolation. While Solitary confinement might try to bring down aggressive behavior, studies show that it actually causes greater
Solitary confinement does not help challenging prisoners in the long run. Solitary confinement actually has the potential to cause inmates to lose their ability to control and manage their anger. If an inmate continues to be violent, the result is a longer time in solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is inhumane and should be called torture. Putting and keeping an individual in solitary confinement puts them at a very serious risk of developing a mental illness, which may not be recoverable. Solitary confinement causes many effects that range in severity; it is not something that inmates should be subjected to
The fight for survival in correctional facilities and prisons within the United States has created subcultures that breed racism, hate, and natural occurring violence. As inmates are moving in and out of facilities, and are forced back into society to adapt on their own, they soon realize that who they were in jail, is who they can not be once they 're released. According to Hanser (pg. 204), the prison economy is one of the key measures of influence that an inmate may have within inmate population.